How to pronounce wham
Say it like WAM. Wham is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce wham. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Wham pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of wham
American and British speakers say wham in essentially the same way: /wæm/ in the US and /wæm/ in the UK.
British respelling: WAM.
What does wham mean?
- A forceful blow.“Roger was given a violent wham by his boxing opponent.”
- The sound of such a blow; a thud.“We heard a wham as the hammer struck the wall.”
- An attempt.
- Used to indicate the sound of a forceful blow, an explosion, etc.“Wham! The truck hit the wall.”
- Used to indicate something dramatic, sudden, and unanticipated has occurred.“Our relationship was going smoothly and then wham! Out of nowhere he told me he was leaving me for another woman.”
- To smash or strike (someone or something) with great force or impact; to slam, to whack.
- To propel (something) with great force by kicking, striking, throwing, etc.
- To smash or strike with great force or impact.
Where does wham come from?
Onomatopoeic, representing the sound of an object being slammed against something.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with wham
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of wham.
Questions about saying wham
How do you pronounce wham?
Say WAM. The American pronunciation is /wæm/. In British English it is /wæm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in wham?
Wham is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAM.
Do Americans and Brits say wham the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /wæm/ and the British form is /wæm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.